At the end of the day: Overused words in office
Aparna Kalra -
Friday, August 28, 2009 12:01 PM
U.S.-based career consultant Chris Janzen has tweeted a survey on the most overused words at the workplace. It seems “viral” and “leverage” win among the most annoying and overused jargon, cliches and buzzwords in office.
In a survey conducted by a staffing company and published by a business weekly in Seattle, executives were asked, “What is the most annoying or overused phrase or buzzword in the workplace today?”
Their responses included:
• Leverage: As in, “We intend to leverage our investment in IT infrastructure across multiple business units to drive profits.”
• Reach out: As in, “Remember to reach out to customers impacted by the change.”
• It is what it is: As in, “The server is down today, and clients are irate. It is what it is.”
• Viral: As in, “Our video has gone viral.”
• Game changer: As in, “Transitioning from products to solutions was a game changer for our company.”
• Disconnect: As in, “There is a disconnect between what the consumer wants and what the product provides.”
• Value-add: As in, “We have to evaluate the value-add of this activity before we spend more on it.”
• Circle back: As in, “I’m heading out of the office now, but I will circle back with you later.”
• Socialize: As in, “We need to socialize this concept with our key stakeholders.”
• Interface: As in, “My job requires me to interface with all levels of the organization.”
• Cutting edge: As in, “Our cutting-edge technology gives us a competitive advantage.”
The staffing firm conducted a similar survey in 2004. The following “Hall-of-Fame” buzzwords were cited in both surveys:
• At the end of the day
• Synergy
• Solution
• Think outside the box
• On the same page
Would readers of this blog like to send their own entries? Just think, what words annoy you most when your boss is giving you gyan?